Temperatures in Ithaca may be pushing into the subzero range, but for
senior midfielder Ian Pilarski things are just starting to heat up.
After a successful soccer career on the East Hill,
Pilarski became the first player in Cornell history to be picked in the
MLS SuperDraft, held on January 16 in Charlotte. Pilarski was selected
in the fifth round by the Chicago Fire with the 49th overall pick. He
will join a Fire squad coached by Dave Sarachan '76, who is also the
assistant coach of the U.S. World Cup team. Sarachan also served as the
head coach of Cornell men's soccer from 1989-1997.
"I'm extremely excited about being drafted by Chicago.
It's been my dream since I was younger to play professional soccer, and
this opportunity will allow me to get started on a career," said
Pilarski.
At the beginning of January, Pilarski participated in
the 2004 Infosport Pro Soccer combine held in Florida. The combine staff
included current and former MLS coaches. Over 150 players attended the
combine, and Pilarski was the only player from an Ivy League school.
Denis Hamlett, the assistant coach of the Chicago Fire, was Pilarski's
coach at the combine, and was very impressed with his soccer skills.
"Chicago had been interested in him for a while and
was tracking him during the fall season," said Cornell head coach Bryan
Scales. "His performance in January just confirmed to them that he was a
player that they wanted to draft. As a program, we are all very proud
of him. He is a great representative of Cornell Soccer. He has always
had a goal of becoming a pro and this is a outstanding opportunity for
him."
Pilarski now faces the challenge of training for the
MLS and completing his final semester at Cornell. After an intense
training schedule during the break, he is now working out with the
Cornell men's team.
"This opportunity is going to require being away from
school at different times during the semester, but I'm excited for the
challenge," said Pilarski. "Also, being surrounded with some of the best
soccer players in America will be an experience in itself. It's going
to be a different second semester senior year than I expected, but I'm
fortunate for this opportunity."
Sarachan went through a similar situation when he was a
student at Cornell, and Pilarski is looking forward to training under a
Cornell alumnus.
"It's awesome that Cornell has an alumnus in a high
rank in professional sports. Dave has done wonderful things for the
Chicago Fire, and I hope I can contribute to their success as well,"
said Pilarski.
A first team All-Ivy and second team All-Region
selection this season, Pilarski served as one of the team's tri-captains
in 2003. His 15 assists ranks him fourth all-time in program history.
In his sophomore year, Pilarski racked up a team-high seven assists, and
was named an All-Ivy Honorable Mention. In 2002, he was named to the
All-Ivy second team.
For the past two summers, Pilarski has been a member
of the Premier Development League's Cape Cod Crusaders, and helped the
team capture back-to-back national titles.
14-year old Freddy Adu was taken with the first
overall pick by the D.C. United, and four other players were taken from
Ivy League schools. Kevin Ara of Harvard, the first Ivy player selected,
was taken in the third round. Brown's Adom Crew, the reigning Ivy
League Player of the Year, was taken with the first pick of the fifth
round.
"The Ivy League was the only league in the country to
have over half of its schools represented with selections in the 2004
MLS SuperDraft. This speaks to the quality of the players in our league
and again confirms the fact that the Ivy League can be a vehicle for
players who aspire to become professional soccer players and get a great
education," said Scales.
Showing posts with label Men's soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Men's soccer. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Wednesday, December 3, 2003
M. Soccer Season Full of Ups and Downs
The men's soccer team's 2003 season was
a roller coaster ride from the very beginning. After putting together a
five-game unbeaten streak in mid-October, the team dropped its next six games,
then the season strongly with a tie against third-place Columbia. While the Red
struggled to score in the latter half of the season, the team played with
tremendous tenacity, finishing the season with a 5-9-2 record (2-3-2 Ivy
League).
Of the team's 16 games, only three were decided by more than two goals, including the Red's 4-1 win in the season opener over St. Bonaventure.
"I think you can look at our season at three different stages. We got off to a good start against St. Bonaventure, dropped a few games after that as we were trying to find our lineup, and figure who would play in certain spots for us, and then we went on a five-game unbeaten streak, and confidence was high," said head coach Bryan Scales. "Then when we went into that middle stretch of the season in October, which is always a difficult time for anyone on the team with prelims and all sorts of distractions, and we just couldn't score goals and couldn't finish off our chances.
The Red placed three players on the All-Ivy team. Senior tri-captain Ian Pilarski became the first Cornell midfielder to be named to the first team since 1986, and finished the season with four assists. Pilarski's 15 career assists places him fourth on the all-time list. Junior Peter Lynch was named an All-Ivy honorable mention, and was one of the most solid performers on the team throughout the season. His goal in the opening minutes against Penn was all the offense the Red needed, as it shut out the Quakers.
Transferring from Brown at the beginning of the year, junior goalie David Mahoney was also named an All-Ivy honorable mention. He notched four shutouts on the year, including two in conference play, and registered a 1.54 goals against average, starting every game for the Red.
Of the team's wins this season, none was bigger than the Red's 1-0 defeat of the then-No. 15 Yale Bulldogs in New Haven, Conn. This was the first win at Yale for Cornell since 1978.
"It was a big win for us. Yale finished second in the league, we were their only loss. For us to win down there [for the first time] in 28 years, that's a big mental hurdle that the guys were able to get over," said Scales.
The team's five seniors -- Pilarski, Evan Wiener, Arturo Solis, Matt Blumenstyk, and Kaj Hackinen -- all provided veteran leadership during some of the difficult portions of the season.
"I thought that the seniors did a remarkable job, especially when things weren't going well. Those guys have all been four-year players for us, so they put so much into this program that they weren't going to just hang out and take the foot off the pedal when things weren't going will towards the end of the season," said Scales. "They drove the group, they pushed everybody in practice, they did all the things on the field and off the field that I expected of them, and they'll be missed."
While the team heads into the long offseason, the coaching staff and players are starting to prepare for next fall. In the past, Scales has visited European clubs to study and learn new training techniques.
"We watch a lot of professional games, we may go abroad at some point and spend some time with some clubs, we may go out to Chicago to spend time with Dave Sarachan ['76], to watch the Chicago Fire for a little bit, so it's to be determined. We're always on the lookout for new ideas and different points of view."
Of the team's 16 games, only three were decided by more than two goals, including the Red's 4-1 win in the season opener over St. Bonaventure.
"I think you can look at our season at three different stages. We got off to a good start against St. Bonaventure, dropped a few games after that as we were trying to find our lineup, and figure who would play in certain spots for us, and then we went on a five-game unbeaten streak, and confidence was high," said head coach Bryan Scales. "Then when we went into that middle stretch of the season in October, which is always a difficult time for anyone on the team with prelims and all sorts of distractions, and we just couldn't score goals and couldn't finish off our chances.
The Red placed three players on the All-Ivy team. Senior tri-captain Ian Pilarski became the first Cornell midfielder to be named to the first team since 1986, and finished the season with four assists. Pilarski's 15 career assists places him fourth on the all-time list. Junior Peter Lynch was named an All-Ivy honorable mention, and was one of the most solid performers on the team throughout the season. His goal in the opening minutes against Penn was all the offense the Red needed, as it shut out the Quakers.
Transferring from Brown at the beginning of the year, junior goalie David Mahoney was also named an All-Ivy honorable mention. He notched four shutouts on the year, including two in conference play, and registered a 1.54 goals against average, starting every game for the Red.
Of the team's wins this season, none was bigger than the Red's 1-0 defeat of the then-No. 15 Yale Bulldogs in New Haven, Conn. This was the first win at Yale for Cornell since 1978.
"It was a big win for us. Yale finished second in the league, we were their only loss. For us to win down there [for the first time] in 28 years, that's a big mental hurdle that the guys were able to get over," said Scales.
The team's five seniors -- Pilarski, Evan Wiener, Arturo Solis, Matt Blumenstyk, and Kaj Hackinen -- all provided veteran leadership during some of the difficult portions of the season.
"I thought that the seniors did a remarkable job, especially when things weren't going well. Those guys have all been four-year players for us, so they put so much into this program that they weren't going to just hang out and take the foot off the pedal when things weren't going will towards the end of the season," said Scales. "They drove the group, they pushed everybody in practice, they did all the things on the field and off the field that I expected of them, and they'll be missed."
While the team heads into the long offseason, the coaching staff and players are starting to prepare for next fall. In the past, Scales has visited European clubs to study and learn new training techniques.
"We watch a lot of professional games, we may go abroad at some point and spend some time with some clubs, we may go out to Chicago to spend time with Dave Sarachan ['76], to watch the Chicago Fire for a little bit, so it's to be determined. We're always on the lookout for new ideas and different points of view."
Monday, November 17, 2003
Booters Eke Out Tie
The men's soccer team finished its
season on a strong note, tying the fourth ranked team in New York, Columbia
(10-4-3, 3-2-2 Ivy), on Saturday night at Berman Field 1-1. The Red (5-9-2,
2-3-2 Ivy) won its most Ivy games in three years, and most likely eliminated
the Lions' chances of an at-large bid to the NCAA College Cup.
"That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," said head coach Bryan Scales in reference to spoiling Columbia's postseason hopes.
The booters have more to be proud of than that, as they displayed a lot of heart and determination, especially in the second half.
"I'm really proud of the effort that they put in tonight, and that was a real good performance for us. That's what we're looking for, at this stage, is the commitment and it was here tonight," remarked Scales.
The Red got on the board early, as junior Peter Lynch slid a low shot through a defender on net that Columbia keeper Dean Arnoaoutakis saved. Freshman Ryan Imamura was there to collect the rebound, and he dished it to classmate Nick Leonard, who slammed it home from the right side for his second goal of the year.
After the goal, Cornell kept up the pressure on the offensive end, but got a scare on its defensive side when junior goalie David Mahoney collided with a Cornell defender as he went out to play the ball in the 34th minute. Junior Scott Palguta was able to clear the ball, however, to prevent Columbia from getting a shot at the empty net.
With just over a minute to play in the first half, Columbia's Oladero Ola-Niyi received the ball to the left of the Cornell goal from Stephen Foster, and sent a strike past Mahoney for his third goal of the season.
Despite letting up a goal in the waning moments of the half, the Red came out after halftime with a lot of intensity.
"They could have folded, that's a terrible time to give a goal up, and they came out in the second half and went after them again. We kept going forward and going forward," said Scales.
Sophomore Kuda Wekwete made a great play in the 57th minute, as he stole the ball from a Columbia defender, and went in on a breakaway. The goalie rushed in and before Wekwete could get the shot off, he was tripped up from behind.
"I don't know how you don't have a penalty kick there with Kuda going in on goal, so there's lots of calls during the game that don't go your way, but you have to hope that they don't determine the fate of the game," remarked Scales.
Mahoney was tested in the 67th minute, when Thorsteinn Gestsson received the ball inside the Cornell box. He one-touched it toward the left post, but Mahoney came up with the quick save.
In the 90th minute, Mahoney made his biggest stop of the game, as he made a diving save, leaving him out of position. Columbia collected the rebound, but the shot on the open net was blocked by a Cornell defender.
"I thought we dominated the whole second half of the game, and then in the overtimes, where we had a lot of good chances to finish the game, we just didn't," said Scales.
The Red's best chance in the first overtime was set up by senior Ian Pilarski. Pilarski brought the ball up the right side of the field and crossed it to Palguta on the left. He blew by the last Columbia and launched a high shot that Arnoaoutakis tipped slightly.
"When you get inside the penalty box and you have open shots on goal, it's a matter of concentration and striking a good ball and keeping it down. It's frustrating to miss chances inside the penalty area especially when you have so many of them, but that's part of soccer," commented Scales.
In the second overtime, the booters put five shots on goal, but could not find the back of the net. With three minutes to go in the second extra session, Pilarski broke in on goal after beating his defender. He launched a shot from the left that hit the outside of the goal.
"It's going to be a long offseason for us, and although we didn't win the game today, we have to be pleased with our performance. At least it says the guys said 'You know what? We didn't quit,' and that's the bottom line," said Scales.
"That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," said head coach Bryan Scales in reference to spoiling Columbia's postseason hopes.
The booters have more to be proud of than that, as they displayed a lot of heart and determination, especially in the second half.
"I'm really proud of the effort that they put in tonight, and that was a real good performance for us. That's what we're looking for, at this stage, is the commitment and it was here tonight," remarked Scales.
The Red got on the board early, as junior Peter Lynch slid a low shot through a defender on net that Columbia keeper Dean Arnoaoutakis saved. Freshman Ryan Imamura was there to collect the rebound, and he dished it to classmate Nick Leonard, who slammed it home from the right side for his second goal of the year.
After the goal, Cornell kept up the pressure on the offensive end, but got a scare on its defensive side when junior goalie David Mahoney collided with a Cornell defender as he went out to play the ball in the 34th minute. Junior Scott Palguta was able to clear the ball, however, to prevent Columbia from getting a shot at the empty net.
With just over a minute to play in the first half, Columbia's Oladero Ola-Niyi received the ball to the left of the Cornell goal from Stephen Foster, and sent a strike past Mahoney for his third goal of the season.
Despite letting up a goal in the waning moments of the half, the Red came out after halftime with a lot of intensity.
"They could have folded, that's a terrible time to give a goal up, and they came out in the second half and went after them again. We kept going forward and going forward," said Scales.
Sophomore Kuda Wekwete made a great play in the 57th minute, as he stole the ball from a Columbia defender, and went in on a breakaway. The goalie rushed in and before Wekwete could get the shot off, he was tripped up from behind.
"I don't know how you don't have a penalty kick there with Kuda going in on goal, so there's lots of calls during the game that don't go your way, but you have to hope that they don't determine the fate of the game," remarked Scales.
Mahoney was tested in the 67th minute, when Thorsteinn Gestsson received the ball inside the Cornell box. He one-touched it toward the left post, but Mahoney came up with the quick save.
In the 90th minute, Mahoney made his biggest stop of the game, as he made a diving save, leaving him out of position. Columbia collected the rebound, but the shot on the open net was blocked by a Cornell defender.
"I thought we dominated the whole second half of the game, and then in the overtimes, where we had a lot of good chances to finish the game, we just didn't," said Scales.
The Red's best chance in the first overtime was set up by senior Ian Pilarski. Pilarski brought the ball up the right side of the field and crossed it to Palguta on the left. He blew by the last Columbia and launched a high shot that Arnoaoutakis tipped slightly.
"When you get inside the penalty box and you have open shots on goal, it's a matter of concentration and striking a good ball and keeping it down. It's frustrating to miss chances inside the penalty area especially when you have so many of them, but that's part of soccer," commented Scales.
In the second overtime, the booters put five shots on goal, but could not find the back of the net. With three minutes to go in the second extra session, Pilarski broke in on goal after beating his defender. He launched a shot from the left that hit the outside of the goal.
"It's going to be a long offseason for us, and although we didn't win the game today, we have to be pleased with our performance. At least it says the guys said 'You know what? We didn't quit,' and that's the bottom line," said Scales.
Friday, November 14, 2003
M. Soccer Wraps Up Season
Tomorrow, the five seniors of the men's
soccer team will play the final game of their collegiate careers, as the Red
(5-9-1, 2-3-1 Ivy) looks to spoil Columbia's (10-4-2, 3-2-1 Ivy) postseason
aspirations at 4 p.m. on Berman Field. The booters dropped another close game
to No. 16 Hartwick on Wednesday, 3-1, and will try to end their six-game losing
skid.
"This has been a real tough second half of the season for them, and they keep putting the emotional energy into each and every game, and to not come out on top takes a little piece out of you every time it happens," said head coach Bryan Scales. "They want to leave a good legacy in the seniors' last game. They're going to compete, this group will compete."
On Wednesday, Hartwick got on the board midway through the first half, as a questionable foul call to the left of the Cornell goal set up a free kick that Josh Herrera headed home. Junior goalie David Mahoney came up with four incredible saves in the remainder of the half to keep the Red within striking distance.
The Hawks tacked on two more scores at the start of the second half, at which point junior Peter Francis came in for Mahoney in goal. For the last 30 minutes of the contest, the Red stepped up the pressure, and finally knocked home a goal in the 80th minute. Sophomore Andrew George dribbled along the baseline to the left of the Hartwick goal, before passing to senior Evan Wiener, who collected the rebound from his own shot for his second goal of the season.
"Soccer's always a game of ebbs and flows. Each team's going to have a run at goal," said Scales. "After we scored to make it 3-1, that gives you energy, that gets you going, you feel like you're making some progress. I did think we really got some momentum."
Columbia comes into tomorrow's match gunning for a win to help it get an at-large bid to the NCAA College Cup. After being ranked No. 23 in the country at the beginning of the month, the Lions dropped an overtime heartbreaker to Yale two weeks ago and then tying one-win St. Francis. Columbia rebounded to beat Harvard last weekend, but its postseason hopes are riding on the outcome of tomorrow's contest.
"They're trying to get into the national tournament, they think they have a chance, and we're going to try to spoil it," said Scales.
While the booters can play the spoiler again tomorrow, they also want to finish the season, and for the seniors their careers, on a positive note. A win tomorrow would give the Red its most Ivy victories since 2000.
"Our guys have a responsibility to their teammates and to the program to come out and represent our program, and that's what I expect to happen," remarked Scales. "Are there going to be players that want this thing to end? Absolutely. I think we're all on the end of our rope as this stage in the game, but we know it's going to be a long winter, it's going to be a long spring waiting for next year to come around, and so I think they want to go out with a bang, and they can take their foot off the pedal when this whole thing is done."
"This has been a real tough second half of the season for them, and they keep putting the emotional energy into each and every game, and to not come out on top takes a little piece out of you every time it happens," said head coach Bryan Scales. "They want to leave a good legacy in the seniors' last game. They're going to compete, this group will compete."
On Wednesday, Hartwick got on the board midway through the first half, as a questionable foul call to the left of the Cornell goal set up a free kick that Josh Herrera headed home. Junior goalie David Mahoney came up with four incredible saves in the remainder of the half to keep the Red within striking distance.
The Hawks tacked on two more scores at the start of the second half, at which point junior Peter Francis came in for Mahoney in goal. For the last 30 minutes of the contest, the Red stepped up the pressure, and finally knocked home a goal in the 80th minute. Sophomore Andrew George dribbled along the baseline to the left of the Hartwick goal, before passing to senior Evan Wiener, who collected the rebound from his own shot for his second goal of the season.
"Soccer's always a game of ebbs and flows. Each team's going to have a run at goal," said Scales. "After we scored to make it 3-1, that gives you energy, that gets you going, you feel like you're making some progress. I did think we really got some momentum."
Columbia comes into tomorrow's match gunning for a win to help it get an at-large bid to the NCAA College Cup. After being ranked No. 23 in the country at the beginning of the month, the Lions dropped an overtime heartbreaker to Yale two weeks ago and then tying one-win St. Francis. Columbia rebounded to beat Harvard last weekend, but its postseason hopes are riding on the outcome of tomorrow's contest.
"They're trying to get into the national tournament, they think they have a chance, and we're going to try to spoil it," said Scales.
While the booters can play the spoiler again tomorrow, they also want to finish the season, and for the seniors their careers, on a positive note. A win tomorrow would give the Red its most Ivy victories since 2000.
"Our guys have a responsibility to their teammates and to the program to come out and represent our program, and that's what I expect to happen," remarked Scales. "Are there going to be players that want this thing to end? Absolutely. I think we're all on the end of our rope as this stage in the game, but we know it's going to be a long winter, it's going to be a long spring waiting for next year to come around, and so I think they want to go out with a bang, and they can take their foot off the pedal when this whole thing is done."
Friday, October 31, 2003
M. Soccer Visits Princeton
With its Ivy League title hopes on the
line, the men's soccer team travels to New Jersey to take on Princeton at
Lourie-Love Field for a 7:30 p.m. contest tonight. The Red (5-6-1, 2-1-1 Ivy)
has had trouble finding the back of the net recently, having been shut out in
its last three games, while the Tigers (4-6-3, 1-2-1 Ivy) scored their first
goal in four games against Rutgers on Tuesday.
"The guys will have a positive attitude coming into the Princeton game. We lost another game that we should have won on Tuesday, but I think everyone still realizes that we still have something to play for," said junior Scott Palguta. "Everyone is gunning for Brown now, so you never know what will happen in the league standings. Our fate isn't in our hands anymore, but we still need to do our part by winning the remainder of our Ivy games."
No. 11 Brown is in sole possession of first place in the league, after defeating the Red, 2-0, last Saturday, while Cornell is tied for third with No. 23 Columbia.
Despite controlling the play for most of the game against Oneonta on Tuesday, the booters were unable to answer the Red Dragons' goal, scored by Jme Amoako from 20 yards out in the 36th minute. Junior goalie David Mahoney stopped eight shots on the night, including one on a breakaway by Amoako late in the game.
"We've put ourselves in the position to score goals, we just haven't converted. I think we need to take more chances and play with more creativity in the attacking third of the field. That's not the place to play safe," remarked Palguta. "You need to take chances, put the other team under pressure, and force them to make mistakes. Sometimes we play like we're afraid to do that."
Against Rutgers, senior Gianfranco Tripicchio scored the equalizer in the closing minutes of the first half, shortly after Rutgers head coach Bob Reasso was ejected from the game after arguing a foul. The Scarlet Knights tacked on two second-half goals to hand Princeton its fourth loss in five games. The Tigers have not won since Oct. 8.
Last year, the Red defeated the Tigers, 1-0, on Berman Field for its only conference win of the season, and tonight's game should also be a close one. All four of the Red's conference games this season have been decided by two goals or less.
"There's no one on their team that we're going to play particular attention to. They're a good team that's pretty balanced in all positions. In a way, they are a lot like us. We have comparable records, and we both play well defensively but struggle to find the back of the net," said Palguta.
On offense for Princeton, Darren Spicer and Jame Wunsch are tied for the scoring lead, with six points each. Spicer has three goals on the year, while Wunsch's two goals have both been gamewinners. Eric White has started in goal in 11 games this season, recording a 1.35 goals against average and stopping 39 shots.
Mahoney has played well in the team's first four Ivy games of the season, recording two shutouts and allowing only three goals. His 64 saves is tops in the league.
The Red will hit the road against next weekend for its last road game of the season against Dartmouth next Sunday. The team returns home for its final non-conference game of the season against No. 20 Hartwick, head coach Bryan Scales' alma mater on Nov. 12, before facing Columbia on Nov. 15.
"The guys will have a positive attitude coming into the Princeton game. We lost another game that we should have won on Tuesday, but I think everyone still realizes that we still have something to play for," said junior Scott Palguta. "Everyone is gunning for Brown now, so you never know what will happen in the league standings. Our fate isn't in our hands anymore, but we still need to do our part by winning the remainder of our Ivy games."
No. 11 Brown is in sole possession of first place in the league, after defeating the Red, 2-0, last Saturday, while Cornell is tied for third with No. 23 Columbia.
Despite controlling the play for most of the game against Oneonta on Tuesday, the booters were unable to answer the Red Dragons' goal, scored by Jme Amoako from 20 yards out in the 36th minute. Junior goalie David Mahoney stopped eight shots on the night, including one on a breakaway by Amoako late in the game.
"We've put ourselves in the position to score goals, we just haven't converted. I think we need to take more chances and play with more creativity in the attacking third of the field. That's not the place to play safe," remarked Palguta. "You need to take chances, put the other team under pressure, and force them to make mistakes. Sometimes we play like we're afraid to do that."
Against Rutgers, senior Gianfranco Tripicchio scored the equalizer in the closing minutes of the first half, shortly after Rutgers head coach Bob Reasso was ejected from the game after arguing a foul. The Scarlet Knights tacked on two second-half goals to hand Princeton its fourth loss in five games. The Tigers have not won since Oct. 8.
Last year, the Red defeated the Tigers, 1-0, on Berman Field for its only conference win of the season, and tonight's game should also be a close one. All four of the Red's conference games this season have been decided by two goals or less.
"There's no one on their team that we're going to play particular attention to. They're a good team that's pretty balanced in all positions. In a way, they are a lot like us. We have comparable records, and we both play well defensively but struggle to find the back of the net," said Palguta.
On offense for Princeton, Darren Spicer and Jame Wunsch are tied for the scoring lead, with six points each. Spicer has three goals on the year, while Wunsch's two goals have both been gamewinners. Eric White has started in goal in 11 games this season, recording a 1.35 goals against average and stopping 39 shots.
Mahoney has played well in the team's first four Ivy games of the season, recording two shutouts and allowing only three goals. His 64 saves is tops in the league.
The Red will hit the road against next weekend for its last road game of the season against Dartmouth next Sunday. The team returns home for its final non-conference game of the season against No. 20 Hartwick, head coach Bryan Scales' alma mater on Nov. 12, before facing Columbia on Nov. 15.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
M. Soccer Falls to Oneonta, 1-0
For the third game in a row, the men's
soccer could not find the back of the net, as it dropped a 1-0 contest to
Oneonta (8-2-5) last night at Berman Field. The well-rested Red Dragons
received a great goal from its leading scorer Jme Amoako, which was enough for
the win. The Red (5-6-1, 2-1-1 Ivy) dictated play for most of the game, but was
unable to finish in the offensive zone.
"The soccer gods don't go with you sometimes, this is how it went it today. We played well enough to win, but we didn't win, and that's how this sport goes sometimes," said assistant coach Rob Elliot '97.
The Red wasted no time setting up in the offensive zone, as a header from senior Ian Pilarski's free kick was stopped by Oneonta keeper Jack Potter.
On the other end, junior goalie David Mahoney was tested early, as he covered up an Oneonta shot that dribbled along the goal line in the sixth minute.
In the 34th minute, Pilarski came in on a breakaway on the right side, after receiving a great lob from junior Scott Palguta just behind the center line. Pilarski launched a high shot that just arced over the top of the left post.
A little over a minute later, Amoako received the ball on the right side about 20 yards out from Luke Kitchen. He then feinted before launching a shot that hit the top left corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season.
"The kid scored a great goal, you have to leave it at that sometimes. He made a great play and scored a great goal, and that was the difference tonight," remarked Elliot.
Wasting little time at the start of the second half, the Red won a corner in the opening minute. It would be the first of six corners in the half for Cornell.
In the 50th minute, freshman Nick Leonard tapped a cross from the right side just wide of the left post. The Red had plenty of chances in Oneonta's end but could not capitalize on its possession advantage.
With time winding down, the Red pushed forward to pressure the Oneonta defense. However, this enabled the Oneonta forwards to break through into the Cornell zone. In the 73rd minute, Amoako streaked into the box, but Palguta did a good job of defending, and Amoako could only get away a hard-angled shot.
Usually in the midfield, Palguta played back for most of the game.
"He's a defender by trade and we put him in the midfield just to help us out there, but tonight we put him back there because we needed guys with good feet who could make plays from back there, and I think he did a good job," said Elliot.
After drawing a foul in the 75th minute, Pilarski took the ensuing free kick from outside the top left corner of the box. He sent the ball through the Oneonta wall, but Potter came up with the save.
Throughout the second half, Potter came far out of the goal to cover the ball. This prevented the Red from getting good looks at the net.
Amoako would come in on a breakaway with eight minutes to go, but Mahoney came up with the huge save. He finished with eight saves on the night. Oneonta held the advantage in shot with 13 to the Red's 10, but Cornell won 10 corners, while the Red Dragons only had two.
With only a two-day turnaround until its next game, the Red must put this game behind it before heading into an important Ivy matchup against Princeton on Friday night. Despite the three-game losing skid, there will be no drastic changes during practice.
"You train hard, you try to make yourself better every day you come to training and every game you play, and that's the bottom line. We don't change things around, we don't do things differently," said Elliot. "We know about the other teams, we might think a little bit differently, but you don't change your mentality, you just try to make it better every day."
"The soccer gods don't go with you sometimes, this is how it went it today. We played well enough to win, but we didn't win, and that's how this sport goes sometimes," said assistant coach Rob Elliot '97.
The Red wasted no time setting up in the offensive zone, as a header from senior Ian Pilarski's free kick was stopped by Oneonta keeper Jack Potter.
On the other end, junior goalie David Mahoney was tested early, as he covered up an Oneonta shot that dribbled along the goal line in the sixth minute.
In the 34th minute, Pilarski came in on a breakaway on the right side, after receiving a great lob from junior Scott Palguta just behind the center line. Pilarski launched a high shot that just arced over the top of the left post.
A little over a minute later, Amoako received the ball on the right side about 20 yards out from Luke Kitchen. He then feinted before launching a shot that hit the top left corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season.
"The kid scored a great goal, you have to leave it at that sometimes. He made a great play and scored a great goal, and that was the difference tonight," remarked Elliot.
Wasting little time at the start of the second half, the Red won a corner in the opening minute. It would be the first of six corners in the half for Cornell.
In the 50th minute, freshman Nick Leonard tapped a cross from the right side just wide of the left post. The Red had plenty of chances in Oneonta's end but could not capitalize on its possession advantage.
With time winding down, the Red pushed forward to pressure the Oneonta defense. However, this enabled the Oneonta forwards to break through into the Cornell zone. In the 73rd minute, Amoako streaked into the box, but Palguta did a good job of defending, and Amoako could only get away a hard-angled shot.
Usually in the midfield, Palguta played back for most of the game.
"He's a defender by trade and we put him in the midfield just to help us out there, but tonight we put him back there because we needed guys with good feet who could make plays from back there, and I think he did a good job," said Elliot.
After drawing a foul in the 75th minute, Pilarski took the ensuing free kick from outside the top left corner of the box. He sent the ball through the Oneonta wall, but Potter came up with the save.
Throughout the second half, Potter came far out of the goal to cover the ball. This prevented the Red from getting good looks at the net.
Amoako would come in on a breakaway with eight minutes to go, but Mahoney came up with the huge save. He finished with eight saves on the night. Oneonta held the advantage in shot with 13 to the Red's 10, but Cornell won 10 corners, while the Red Dragons only had two.
With only a two-day turnaround until its next game, the Red must put this game behind it before heading into an important Ivy matchup against Princeton on Friday night. Despite the three-game losing skid, there will be no drastic changes during practice.
"You train hard, you try to make yourself better every day you come to training and every game you play, and that's the bottom line. We don't change things around, we don't do things differently," said Elliot. "We know about the other teams, we might think a little bit differently, but you don't change your mentality, you just try to make it better every day."
For
the third game in a row, the men's soccer could not find the back of
the net, as it dropped a 1-0 contest to Oneonta (8-2-5) last night at
Berman Field. The well-rested Red Dragons received a great goal from its
leading scorer Jme Amoako, which was enough for the win. The Red
(5-6-1, 2-1-1 Ivy) dictated play for most of the game, but was unable to
finish in the offensive zone.
"The soccer gods don't go with you sometimes, this is how it went it today. We played well enough to win, but we didn't win, and that's how this sport goes sometimes," said assistant coach Rob Elliot '97.
The Red wasted no time setting up in the offensive zone, as a header from senior Ian Pilarski's free kick was stopped by Oneonta keeper Jack Potter.
On the other end, junior goalie David Mahoney was tested early, as he covered up an Oneonta shot that dribbled along the goal line in the sixth minute.
In the 34th minute, Pilarski came in on a breakaway on the right side, after receiving a great lob from junior Scott Palguta just behind the center line. Pilarski launched a high shot that just arced over the top of the left post.
A little over a minute later, Amoako received the ball on the right side about 20 yards out from Luke Kitchen. He then feinted before launching a shot that hit the top left corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season.
"The kid scored a great goal, you have to leave it at that sometimes. He made a great play and scored a great goal, and that was the difference tonight," remarked Elliot.
Wasting little time at the start of the second half, the Red won a corner in the opening minute. It would be the first of six corners in the half for Cornell.
In the 50th minute, freshman Nick Leonard tapped a cross from the right side just wide of the left post. The Red had plenty of chances in Oneonta's end but could not capitalize on its possession advantage.
With time winding down, the Red pushed forward to pressure the Oneonta defense. However, this enabled the Oneonta forwards to break through into the Cornell zone. In the 73rd minute, Amoako streaked into the box, but Palguta did a good job of defending, and Amoako could only get away a hard-angled shot.
Usually in the midfield, Palguta played back for most of the game.
"He's a defender by trade and we put him in the midfield just to help us out there, but tonight we put him back there because we needed guys with good feet who could make plays from back there, and I think he did a good job," said Elliot.
After drawing a foul in the 75th minute, Pilarski took the ensuing free kick from outside the top left corner of the box. He sent the ball through the Oneonta wall, but Potter came up with the save.
Throughout the second half, Potter came far out of the goal to cover the ball. This prevented the Red from getting good looks at the net.
Amoako would come in on a breakaway with eight minutes to go, but Mahoney came up with the huge save. He finished with eight saves on the night. Oneonta held the advantage in shot with 13 to the Red's 10, but Cornell won 10 corners, while the Red Dragons only had two.
With only a two-day turnaround until its next game, the Red must put this game behind it before heading into an important Ivy matchup against Princeton on Friday night. Despite the three-game losing skid, there will be no drastic changes during practice.
"You train hard, you try to make yourself better everyday you come to training and every game you play, and that's the bottom line. We don't change things around, we don't do things differently," said Elliot. "We know about the other teams, we might think a little bit differently, but you don't change your mentality, you just try to make it better everyday." - See more at: http://www.cornellsun.com/node/10042#sthash.8gE3f8ri.dpuf
"The soccer gods don't go with you sometimes, this is how it went it today. We played well enough to win, but we didn't win, and that's how this sport goes sometimes," said assistant coach Rob Elliot '97.
The Red wasted no time setting up in the offensive zone, as a header from senior Ian Pilarski's free kick was stopped by Oneonta keeper Jack Potter.
On the other end, junior goalie David Mahoney was tested early, as he covered up an Oneonta shot that dribbled along the goal line in the sixth minute.
In the 34th minute, Pilarski came in on a breakaway on the right side, after receiving a great lob from junior Scott Palguta just behind the center line. Pilarski launched a high shot that just arced over the top of the left post.
A little over a minute later, Amoako received the ball on the right side about 20 yards out from Luke Kitchen. He then feinted before launching a shot that hit the top left corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season.
"The kid scored a great goal, you have to leave it at that sometimes. He made a great play and scored a great goal, and that was the difference tonight," remarked Elliot.
Wasting little time at the start of the second half, the Red won a corner in the opening minute. It would be the first of six corners in the half for Cornell.
In the 50th minute, freshman Nick Leonard tapped a cross from the right side just wide of the left post. The Red had plenty of chances in Oneonta's end but could not capitalize on its possession advantage.
With time winding down, the Red pushed forward to pressure the Oneonta defense. However, this enabled the Oneonta forwards to break through into the Cornell zone. In the 73rd minute, Amoako streaked into the box, but Palguta did a good job of defending, and Amoako could only get away a hard-angled shot.
Usually in the midfield, Palguta played back for most of the game.
"He's a defender by trade and we put him in the midfield just to help us out there, but tonight we put him back there because we needed guys with good feet who could make plays from back there, and I think he did a good job," said Elliot.
After drawing a foul in the 75th minute, Pilarski took the ensuing free kick from outside the top left corner of the box. He sent the ball through the Oneonta wall, but Potter came up with the save.
Throughout the second half, Potter came far out of the goal to cover the ball. This prevented the Red from getting good looks at the net.
Amoako would come in on a breakaway with eight minutes to go, but Mahoney came up with the huge save. He finished with eight saves on the night. Oneonta held the advantage in shot with 13 to the Red's 10, but Cornell won 10 corners, while the Red Dragons only had two.
With only a two-day turnaround until its next game, the Red must put this game behind it before heading into an important Ivy matchup against Princeton on Friday night. Despite the three-game losing skid, there will be no drastic changes during practice.
"You train hard, you try to make yourself better everyday you come to training and every game you play, and that's the bottom line. We don't change things around, we don't do things differently," said Elliot. "We know about the other teams, we might think a little bit differently, but you don't change your mentality, you just try to make it better everyday." - See more at: http://www.cornellsun.com/node/10042#sthash.8gE3f8ri.dpuf
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